Electromagnetic vibratory advertising device



June 19, 1951 J.A.SMPSON ELECTROMAGNETIC VIBRATORY ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed Dec. 9, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Joseph A. Simpson INVENTOR.

BY 2mm WW FM June 19, 195'] J. A. SIMPSON ELECTROMAGNETIC VIBRATORY ADVERTISING DEVICE 3 Sheeis-Sheet 2 Inventor Filed Dec. 9, 1948 Joseph A. Simpson B 2 yaw? 3 June 19, 1951 J. A. SIMPSON 2,557,242

ELECTROMAGNETIC VIBRATORY ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed Dec. 9, l9 48 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Inventor Joseph A. Simpson Patented June 19, 1951 ELECTROMAGNETIC vV BRATORY ADVERTISING DEVICE Joseph A. Simpson, 'New York, N. Y., assignor of one-half .to MarialHearst, New York, N. Y.

Application December 9, 1948, Serial No. 651,338

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to advertising devices and more particularly to an advertising device including one or more display units having decorated objects animated to move relativeto fixed decorated panels, together with motorized switch means of special design to control electric currents through electro-magnets operatively associated with the said decorated objects.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a means whereby the electric currents through the said electro-magnets can be varied both as to order and duration, with respect to the different electro-mag-nets, thus allowing a very wide variation in the type of animationachieved.

Still another object of this invention is toprovide means whereby a considerable number of difierent display units can'be operated simultaneously by a single control unit, the different display units and the control unit being spaced widely apart when required, as when the control unit is in one room or window and the diiierent displays are in still other rooms or'windows.

Still another object of this invention is to provide means whereby a decorated object may be merely made to vibrate or quiver, to move'successively into different positions andato be held in such positions for any predetermined length of time.

Still another objectof this invention isto-provide specific means for carrying outthe above mentioned general objects.

An inexpensive advertising device in which all parts thereof are simple to manufacture or of conventional character, which is simple,,safe and completely practical-to operate, and'which' will give generally efficient and durable service.

With these objects definitely in view, this invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of elements and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail in the specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a material part of thisapplication, and inwhich:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view representing a single display and a control unit therefor, which structure is partof a larger assembly represented in the three-dimensional view in Figure'i;

Figure 2 is :a front elevational view of thecon- ;;F3ig-ure .3zis a similar view taken from theside of the control unit;

dash lines in Figure 1. electro-magnets 36, 3S and 56 andthe energiza- Figure 4 is a fragmentary rear view of a display unit such as one of those display units illustrated in Figure 7;

Figure 5 is a similar fragmentary rear view of another of the display units;

Figure 6 is a schematic view showing a representative portion of the wiring diagram used in this invention; and,

Figure 7 is a three-dimensional view showing a control unit and the display units above mentioned.

Similar characters of reference designate similar Or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the different views in the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, this invention will include a display unit, generally indicated at It, having a decorated panel I2 and another panel l4 disposed parallel thereto, both panels being represented as being vertical. Withilrthe display case iii and between the panels -2 and hi there is mounted an elongated resilient member 16 which may be of either strap or rodform and which has its lower end I8 fixed in a-block 20 which is, in turn, mounted upon any suitable portion of the display unit In as indicated generally at 22.

A decorated object 24 is mounted upon the upper end of this resilient member It so as to be visible and to move in a predetermined are when the resilient member is made to move. The resilient member has a plurality of laterally extending arms 26, 28, 38 and 32, rigidly secured thereon in longitudinally spaced relation and these-arms are of magnetic or magnetizable material and positionally related to electro-magnets -34, 36, 38 and 49 so that energization of these electro-magnets 'movement in the resilient member 96 and decwill cause a corresponding orated objects 24 carried thereby. In the embodiment illustrated, the electromagnets are mounted upon thepanel i4 and disposedthereon so that selective energization of the electromagnets will result in difierent movements of the resilient member iii. For example, energization of the electro-magnet 35 with the other electro-magnets not energized will cause theresilient member to move from a neutral position toward the right in Figure 1. If new the electromagnets 33 and A8 are successively energizedthe decorated object E i will be moved successively to the right into the final position indicated in Upon release of the tion of the electro-magnet 3d, the arm 26 will be attracted to the electro-magnet 34 when the resilient member l6 swings to the left. It will also be obvious that a vibratory motion in the resilient member l6 may be set up as by the energization of the electro-magnet 36 when the resilient member is in neutral position and if the electro-magnet 36 is then de-energized the resilient member will continue to vibrate for a certain'length of time due to its own resiliency. It follows, that a considerable number of distinctive motions may be attributed to a decorated object such as that indicated at 24 with relation to a fixed panel and it will of course be obvious that the character of such decorations will be not limited to such devices as that represented in the drawings.

The control unit for the device maybe mounted within a casing 52 and electrical leads 42 will connect the electro-magnets to a transformer :34 connected as indicated at $6 with power lead-in wires d'l of any other analogous and suitable source of electrical energy. Other electric lead wires will connect the electro-magnets with a plurality of brushes i] adjustably mounted on a support, generally indicated at 5t, mounted within the casing 52.

An electric motor 48 is mounted on another bracket support 5'? within the casing 52 and a disc 58 of metallic material is mounted on the drive shaft of the motor 5%. One side of the disc 58 is partially covered with insulated material 60 and certain arcuate portions 62, 64 and 66 are left uncovered, and it will be noted that the disc is so mounted that the brushes '58 may contact these uncovered portions 62, Kid and 68 of the disc when the disc is rotated. In this connection it should be noted that the electric motor 53 will, in practice, have incorporated therewith reduction gearing whereby the speed of rotation of the disc 58 is reduced as required, unless the motor and disc are otherwise adapted to turn rather slowly. The support generally indicated by the numeral 54 is of special construction and includes an upright 68 vertically slotted at it, along with a cross beam i2 which is longitudinally slotted, and a bolt and wing nut assembly 5 3 is inserted through the said slots so that the cross beam can be shifted relative to the upright 68. Another brush it will be secured by a screw it, the previously mentioned brushes 53 being also similarly secured to the upright 68, and still another brush 89 will be rigidly mounted within the casing 52 to bear against the opposite side of the disc 58, this last mentioned brush 39 being connected in the embodiment illustrated with the transformer 44, so that intermittent surges of current will be transmitted to the electro-magnets mentioned above, when the disc 58 is rotated by the electric motor.

Still other portions 82 of the disc 58 will be left uncovered by insulation and the same brushes may be used to transmit intermittent electric currents to still other electro-magnets such as that represented in another display unit 83 indicated in Figures 4 and 7.

This second display unit 83 may contain an elongated resilient member 8G similar to that already described and similarly mounted within a case having a panel 86 apertured as at 88 to represent, for example, an eye member of an animal when the panel 86 is decorated in any such manner as indicated in Figure 7, it being understood that this structure is merely illustrative of one adaptation of this invention. The resilient member 84 will carry a decorated object 90 secured by any suitable fastening means indicated at 92 upon an intermediate portion of the resilient member, and the decorated object 90 will be positioned to move in an arc so as to be visible through the aperture 88 in the panel 86. An electro-magnet 94, connected to the control unit already described by electric lead wires such as those already identified by the numeral 48, will be positioned adjacent to an arm 96 integral with or carried by the resilient member 84, and it will be noted that the electro-magnet is also placed immediately outside the arc described by the arm 96 when the resilient member 84 oscillates. It should be carefully noted that the arm 96 corresponds very closely with the arms 26, 28, 39 and 32, except that the posiational relationship of the arm and the electromagnet is such as to allow free oscillation of the resilient member 85 and the decorated object 96 carried thereby so that a quivering motion may be imparted'to the decorated object.

In the display unit generally indicated at 98 in Figures 5 and 7 a panel N0 is apertured at [62 to allow visibility of an animated decorated object I04 carried on a resilient member H36 which, like the resilient members already described, is provided with laterally extending arms I08 of magnetic or magnetizable material. A pair of electro-magnets HE are disposed on either side of the resilient member 1% to attract the arms I08. This construction is somewhat analogous to the construction involving the electro-magnets 34 and 36 in Figure 1 and it should be noted that the decorated objects may be made to move in either of two directions and either held fixed in either of two positions or thereafter allowed to vibrate under the action of the elongated resilient member. It may be particularly noted that, in Figure 5, there is represented means I I2 to limit the movement of the resilient member H16 in either direction, this means being either a pair of pins or a staple carried by the decorated panel and positioned so as to prevent the arms MS from actually contacting the electro-magnets I It. By the use of this means I I2 the arms are prevented from clinging to the electro-magnets after the current is interrupted to the electro-magnets concerned due to residual magnetism, and it will be understood that the simple means l [2 may be used with any one of the resilient members. Finally it may be noted that, in Figure '7 the numeral as has been used to indicate the cables in which the lead wires s2 and 43 are collected.

The operation of this invention will be clearly understood from a consideration of the drawings, taken in connection with the above recitation of the objects to be achieved by this invention and the foregoing description of the mechanical details thereof, and further description would appear unnecessary.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An advertising device comprising a display unit including a decorated fixed panel, a resilient elongated member having one end supported in fixed relation to said panel and the other end and decorated object activated to move progressively in one direction.

2. An advertising device comprising a display unit including a decorated fixed panel, a resilient elongated member having one end supported in fixed relation to said panel and the other end free to vibrate, a decorated object carried by said other end of the resilient member, a plurality of electro-magnets fixed on said unit adjacent to said resilient member and spaced along said resilient member, said resilient member having a plurality of portions of magnetic material each comprising a laterally extending arm and each operatively associated with one of said electromagnets, whereby the resilient member may be consecutively moved into a corresponding plurality of positions.

3. A device according to claim 2 and wherein said plurality of arms are spaced longitudinally along one side of said resilient member and the corresponding electro-magnets are arranged to attract the last mentioned arms consecutively to move said resilient member in progressive stage in one direction.

4. An advertising device comprising a display unit including a decorated fixed panel, a resilient elongatedv member having one end supported in 25 Number 6 fixed relation to said panel and the other end free to vibrate, a decorated object carried by said other end of the resilient member, a plurality of electro-magnets fixed on said unit adjacent to said resilient member and spaced along said resilient member, portions of said resilient member adjacent said electro-magnets being of magnetic material, an intermittent switch connected with said electro-magnets and a source of power so that said electro-magnets will be intermittently and'progressively energized and said resilient member and decorated object activated to move progressively in one direction.

JOSEPH A. SIMPSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Coventry Dec. 24, 1912 Smith Mar. 9, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Sept. 13, 1934 Number 

